As part of its efforts to address the dangers of cardiac events, Wyoming Fire & EMS Department offers regular CPR classes in the fall and spring. The classes use an interactive approach to teach the skills needed to rescue a victim from a sudden cardiac event. Timing is huge, if you’ve never been trained you may not know what to look for and that could waste valuable seconds in getting help.

According to the American Heart Association, CPR performed in the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest can double a person’s chances of survival. Each year, roughly 350,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting. Of these, 70 percent occur at home. Only about 46 percent of those who experience a cardiac arrest out of a hospital will get immediate CPR, according to the AHA. These classes save lives all the time.